The season kicks off in Fall 2025 with Fiddler on the Roof.
Skylight Music Theatre has announced 2025-26 season, marking the company's 66th year of bringing exceptional music theatre to Milwaukee audiences.
“I am thrilled with our 66th season, which has something for everyone; a beloved Broadway classic, a family-friendly favorite, a wildly popular play with music ABOUT music, a Wisconsin-centric production celebrating its 25th anniversary, and a modern twist on a Shakespeare tale that is sure to become an instant hit with audiences!” said Executive Director Susan Varela.
“Skylight Music Theatre's 25/26 Season builds on the success of our past few seasons with a wide variety of shows that, again, have recognizable titles. Even if you think you know these shows, you haven't seen them ‘the Skylight way'!” said Artistic Director Michael Unger. “Our 66th season also boasts several first-time partnerships and collaborations that continue our commitment to the Milwaukee community. We have two educational partnerships with leading musical theatre programs – Marquette University and UW Milwaukee - that will give professional opportunities onstage and backstage to students before they graduate. With our first show, Fiddler on the Roof, in addition to collaborating with Marquette University, there will be a partnership with Violins of Hope, which ties one of the world's greatest musicals to today's headlines through a meaningful historical lens. The production will have stringed instruments that were rescued from the Holocaust onstage and in the orchestra pit. Both the show and this partnership are testaments to the suffering and resilience of a displaced people, longing for a homeland. Our second show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat brings Technicolor joy to the Cabot stage for the first time. This production will involve several area youth choirs as a way to bring community onstage as never before. Our next offering, Amadeus, is only the second play in Skylight's history, but we give it the ‘Skylight Treatment' with a live classical ensemble to accompany the passion and intrigue of one of the greatest musical biographies ever told. The next show is a warm Wisconsin homecoming with The Spitfire Grill, set in Wisconsin, written by Wisconsinites, based on the great film of the same name. This is the 25th anniversary production of the show and will be directed by one of the authors. We close out the season with a hilarious adaptation of one of William Shakespeare's most popular plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this production, we add the word ‘ROCKIN'' to the title with an eclectic score that is sure to have you jamming along with the Bard's brilliant wordplay. With a colorful cast of characters, from royalty, to lovers, to rustics, we finish our 66th season with a professional world premiere musical that looks to a great literary past while stirring in a modern musical present. Skylight once again brings to Milwaukee audiences a variety of works presented as you've never seen them before, to YOUR home for Music Theatre.”
Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick o The award-winning classic, Fiddler on the Roof, returns to the Cabot Stage in an unforgettable way. This masterpiece tells the story of Tevye, a humble milkman, and his struggle to maintain his Jewish traditions amidst a
changing world. As his daughters challenge societal norms and seek love on their own terms, Tevye grapples with balancing tradition and progress. Simultaneously, the encroaching menace of pogroms threaten their close knit community. This important tale is amplified in Skylight's production through a powerful partnership with Violins of Hope, showcasing instruments salvaged from the Holocaust, bearing witness to both devastation and enduring spirit. We will also collaborate for the first time with Marquette University, onstage and backstage. This production explores the universal themes of cultural identity and the human cost of displacement in a deeply moving and timely experience.
November 14 – December 28, 2025
Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a dazzling, family-fun musical adventure. Follow biblical superstar Joseph, blessed with prophetic dreams, through his trials, tribulations, and triumphs, after his jealous brothers sell him into slavery. From outcast to Pharaoh's right-hand man, Joseph's journey is a joyous explosion of catchy tunes, dazzling colors, and irresistible energy. This high-spirited show is perfect for all ages and will fill your holidays with laughter and song. This production will be a true community experience with several local children's choirs joining in on the fun! Join us for a spectacular celebration of family, forgiveness, and the power of dreams – a Technicolor spectacle you won't want to miss this holiday season!
January 23 – February 8, 2026
Play by Peter Shaffer
Witness genius and envy collide in Amadeus. Salieri, Vienna's court composer, grapples with bitter jealousy as the flamboyant Mozart's divine talent eclipses his own. This gripping drama unveils a battle of wits and egos as renegade upstart Mozart rises to the upper echelon of 18th-century classical music. Experience this magnificent theatrical event given a novel Skylight Music Theatre treatment, featuring a live chamber orchestra as a backdrop to the intrigue and excitement of sheer genius versus mere mediocrity.
February 27 – March 15, 2026
Music and Book by James Valcq, Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley, Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff
o Celebrating its 25th anniversary, The Spitfire Grill makes a welcome return to the Cabot Stage. Percy Talbot, fresh out of prison, seeks a fresh start in Gilead, Wisconsin, finding solace and community at Hannah's struggling Spitfire Grill. When Hannah proposes a "write a letter, win the grill" contest, the town's secrets and dreams are stirred. This poignant musical, filled with folk-infused melodies, explores themes of redemption, second chances, and the power of human connection. Skylight is honored to have this anniversary production directed by James Valcq, the composer and co-book writer, bringing a unique and authentic vision to this beloved Wisconsin-born tale. Join us for an unforgettable theatrical homecoming.
April 10 – 26, 2026
Book and Lyrics by William Shakespeare, Lyrics and Music by Eric Svejcar
Conceived, Co-Lyrics, Directed by Michael Unger
Experience a brand new take on William Shakespeare's beloved comedy. Journey from ancient Athens, into the woods, and back again, as we follow impassioned lovers, hilarious rustics, fantastical spirits, and feuding royalty in this magical, rock-and-roll rendition of one of the greatest and most performed plays of all time. Dreams become reality, reality becomes fantasy, and love restores balance in an otherwise chaotic world in this modern musical adaptation that is predominantly word-for-word
Shakespeare's text. This production also celebrates another first-time collaboration, onstage and backstage, with University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. With a phenomenal, eclectic score that ranges from power ballads to hysterical rock-opera rhapsodies, this show promises equal parts laughter and love story, showcasing some of the greatest words that quill pen ever set to paper.
Subscriptions are on sale for the 2025-26 season as on March 17, 2025, with single tickets to each show going on sale in the summer. For more information, visit www.skylightmusictheatre.org or call the box office at (414) 291-7800.
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